Gaming system, method, and program product providing payline enhancers

ABSTRACT

A method includes designating at least one of the paylines defined through a matrix of symbol locations as an enhanced value payline which is associated with a respective value enhancer. Upon receipt of a game play input to initiate a play of the wagering game at least some of the symbol locations are populated with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game. Once the game symbols are displayed for a play of the game, the respective value enhancer associated with each respective enhanced value payline is applied to enhance the value of a paytable prize for that respective payline to produce an enhanced prize. The method ultimately includes awarding this enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline and also awarding a respective paytable prize for each winning payline that is not an enhanced value payline.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to wagering games, gaming machines, gaming systems, program products for such gaming machines and gaming systems, and associated methods. More particularly, the invention relates to a wagering game which includes multipliers or other prize enhancers which are applied to specified paylines.

2. Description of the Related Art

Numerous types of wagering games have been developed to provide players with new and varied gaming experiences. One popular type of game is a reel-type game in which a number of mechanical or video-generated reels spin in the course of a play in the game, and eventually come to rest showing a number of symbols arranged in a matrix. Paylines are defined through the matrix and prizes may be awarded to the player based on the particular symbols that are aligned along a respective payline. Traditional reel-type games defined relatively few paylines, such as one or more horizontal lines and one or both diagonal lines through the reel symbol matrix. More recent reel-type wagering games have a large number of paylines defined across the reel symbol matrix to provide the player with a corresponding large number of ways to win in the game. To accommodate a large number of paylines, the paylines may be defined to include not only the traditional straight line paylines (horizontal and diagonal lines), but also various angled paylines which form more complicated shapes such as “V” and inverted “V” shapes.

Although reel-type games having a high number of paylines have proven popular, a common complaint about such games is that it is difficult for the player to see how their winnings are produced on a given play. Thus there remains a need in the wagering game field to provide wagering games which capture and maintain the player's interest and provide an entertaining and satisfying gaming experience. In particular, there remains a need to control payouts of a game in a way that makes it easier for the player to see how the game winnings are being produced. This need is particularly acute in reel-type games which define a large number of paylines, generally, any number of paylines more than eight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention encompasses methods, apparatus, and program products for applying prize value enhancers in a wagering game in ways that make the enhanced prizes more readily apparent to the player. Each prize value enhancer may be a multiplier applied to a particular win in a wagering game or may be some other type of prize value enhancer.

One embodiment of the invention applies to a wagering game which is played at a gaming machine in which results for a given play of the game are displayed on a suitable device showing a symbol display area having a number of symbol locations and a number paylines defined through the symbol locations. This method includes designating at least one of the paylines as an enhanced value payline associated with a respective value enhancer. Upon receipt of a game play input to initiate a play of the wagering game, and after designating at least one of the paylines a respective enhanced value payline, at least some of the symbol locations are populated with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game. In a reel-type game this step of populating the symbol locations may be accomplished by spinning the mechanical or virtual reels and allowing or causing the reels to come to a stop to show an array of game symbols. Once the game symbols are displayed for a play of the game, the respective value enhancer associated with each respective enhanced value payline is applied to enhance the value of a paytable prize for that respective payline. This step produces an enhanced prize for that respective payline. The method ultimately includes awarding this enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline and also awarding a respective paytable prize for each winning payline that is not an enhanced value payline.

The enhanced value paylines designated according to the present invention may be designated so as to be readily visible to a player of the wagering game. For example, in a reel-type game that has a high number of paylines, the relatively simple straight-line paylines may be designated as the enhanced value paylines. Because the prizes for the designated paylines are enhanced, a relatively larger percentage of the player's winnings from the game can be expected from these paylines. Thus the player can see a relatively larger percentage of their winnings from these simple and readily apparent enhanced value paylines. Other embodiments may employ graphical effects to accentuate the enhanced value paylines so that the player may readily see the payouts from these paylines. Yet other embodiments may use a combination of selecting simple paylines for enhanced value paylines and graphical and/or lighting effects.

A gaming machine according to one embodiment of the present invention includes at least one display device, a player input system, and at least one processor. One or more memory devices are associated with the processor or processors for storing instructions which are executable to cause the display device to display symbol locations with a number paylines defined there through, and with at least one of the paylines being designated as an enhanced value payline associated with a respective value enhancer. The stored instructions in this embodiment are also executable to receive a game play input, and in response, cause the display device to populate at least some of the symbol locations in the symbol display area with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game. The instructions are further executable to, for each enhanced value payline, apply the respective value enhancer associated with that payline to enhance the value of a paytable prize for that respective payline. Finally, for that respective play of the game, the instructions are executable to award a respective paytable prize for each winning payline which is not an enhanced value payline, and award the respective enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline.

Considering that the present invention may be implemented using one or more general purpose processing devices, the invention also encompasses a program product which may be stored on one or more tangible computer readable data storage devices representing non-transitory media. The program product may include player input program code and display program code. The player input program code is executable to receive the game play input for each play of the game, while the display program code is executable to control the display device for each play of the game, for example, according to the method described above to populate symbol locations for each play of the game. Prize enhancement program code may be included for applying the respective value enhancer to each enhanced value payline to produce the enhanced value prizes. Payout program code may be included which is executable to (i) award a respective paytable prize for each winning payline for the play of the game which is not an enhanced value payline, and to (ii) award the respective enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline for the play of the game.

These and other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of illustrative embodiments, considered along with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the front of a gaming machine which may be employed in embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1 showing various components of the gaming machine.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a gaming network in which the present invention may be implemented.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a process flow according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a representation of a reel symbol matrix having value enhancers according to the invention associated with certain paylines defined through the matrix.

FIG. 6 is a representation similar to FIG. 5, but showing the first two reels having landed for a play of the game, with the last three reels still rotating for that play.

FIG. 7 is a representation similar to FIG. 6, but showing the first three reels having landed for the play of the game, with the last two reels still rotating for that play.

FIG. 8 is a representation similar to FIG. 7, but showing the first four reels having landed for the play of the game, with the last reel still rotating for that play.

FIG. 9 is a representation similar to FIG. 8, but showing all of the five reels having landed for the play of the game.

FIG. 10 is a representation of a paytable for the example game shown in FIGS. 5-9.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, FIGS. 1-3 will be used to describe example gaming machines and gaming networks through which the present invention may be implemented. Processes which are illustrative of certain embodiments of the invention will then be described in connection with the flow chart of FIG. 4. Reel-type games embodying the principles of the invention will then be described in connection with FIGS. 5-10.

FIG. 1 shows a gaming machine 100 that may be used in implementing a game employing one or more enhanced value paylines according to the present invention. The block diagram of FIG. 2 shows further details of gaming machine 100 along with certain variations which may be included in the gaming machine, while FIG. 3 shows an example gaming network in which gaming machines such as gaming machine 100 may be employed.

Referring to FIG. 1, gaming machine 100 includes a cabinet 101 having a front side generally shown at reference numeral 102. A primary video display device 104 is mounted in a central portion of the front surface 102, with a button panel 106 positioned below the primary video display device and projecting forwardly from the plane of the primary video display device. In addition to primary video display device 104, the illustrated gaming machine 100 includes a secondary video display device 107 positioned above the primary video display device. Gaming machine 100 also includes two additional smaller auxiliary display devices, an upper auxiliary display device 108 and a lower auxiliary display device 109. It should also be noted that each display device referenced herein may include any suitable display device including a cathode ray tube, liquid crystal display, plasma display, LED display, or any other type of display device currently known or that may be developed in the future. One or more of these video display devices, and especially video display device 104, may be used to display game symbols which show the results for a given play of the game implemented through gaming machine 100. Such results may be shown by the manner in which game symbols are aligned along various paylines defined through a symbol location matrix presented by the display device. As will be described further below in connection with FIG. 2 and elsewhere, it is also possible for gaming machines within the scope of the present invention to include mechanical elements such as mechanical reels.

The gaming machine 100 illustrated for purposes of example in FIG. 1 also includes a number of mechanical control buttons 110 mounted on button panel 106. These control buttons 110 may allow a player to select a bet level, select pay lines, select a type of game or game feature, and start a play in a game. Other forms of gaming machines through which the invention may be implemented may include switches, joysticks, or other mechanical input devices, and/or virtual buttons and other controls implemented on a suitable touch screen video display. For example, primary video display device 104 in gaming machine 100 provides a convenient display device for implementing touch screen controls in addition to or in lieu of mechanical controls. The player interface devices which receive player inputs to initiate the play of a game through the gaming machine, such as controls to select a wager amount for a given play and control to actually start a given play, may be referred to generally as a player input system.

It will be appreciated that gaming machines may also include a number of other player interface devices in addition to devices that are considered player controls for use in playing a particular game. Gaming machine 100 also includes a currency/voucher acceptor having an input ramp 112, a player card reader having a player card input 114, and a voucher/receipt printer having a voucher/receipt output 115. Numerous other types of player interface devices may be included in gaming machines that may be used to implement embodiments of the present invention.

A gaming machine which may be used to implement embodiments of the present invention may also include a sound system to provide an audio output to enhance the user's playing experience. For example, illustrated gaming machine 100 includes speakers 116 which may be driven by a suitable audio amplifier to provide a desired audio output at the gaming machine.

FIG. 2 shows a logical and hardware block diagram 200 of gaming machine 100 which includes a central processing unit (CPU) 205 along with random access memory (RAM) 206 and nonvolatile memory or storage device 207. All of these devices are connected on a system bus 208 with an audio interface device 209, a network interface 210, and a serial interface 211. A graphics processor 215 is also connected on bus 208 and is connected to drive primary video display device 104 and secondary video display device 107 (both mounted on cabinet 101 as shown in FIG. 1). A second graphics processor 216 is also connected on bus 208 in this example to drive the auxiliary display devices 108 and 109 also shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, gaming machine 100 also includes a touch screen controller 217 connected to system bus 208. Touch screen controller 217 is also connected via signal path 218 to receive signals from a touch screen element associated with primary video display device 104. It will be appreciated that the touch screen element itself typically comprises a thin film that is secured over the display surface of the respective display device, in this case video display device 104. The touch screen element itself is not illustrated or referenced separately in the figures.

Those familiar with data processing devices and systems will appreciate that other basic electronic components will be included in gaming machine 100 such as a power supply, cooling systems for the various system components, audio amplifiers, and other devices that are common in gaming machines. These additional devices are omitted from the drawings so as not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail.

All of the elements 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, and 211 shown in FIG. 2 are elements commonly associated with a personal computer. These elements may be mounted on a standard personal computer chassis and housed in a standard personal computer housing which itself may be mounted in cabinet 101 shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the various electronic components may be mounted on one or more circuit boards housed within cabinet 101 without a separate enclosure such as those found in personal computers. Those familiar with data processing systems and the various data processing elements shown in FIG. 2 will appreciate that many variations on this illustrated structure may be used within the scope of the present invention. For example, since serial communications are commonly employed to communicate with a touch screen controller such as touch screen controller 217, the touch screen controller may not be connected on system bus 208, but instead include a serial communications line to serial interface 211, which may be a USB controller or a IEEE 1394 controller for example. It will also be appreciated that some of the devices shown in FIG. 2 as being connected directly on system bus 208 may in fact communicate with the other system components through a suitable expansion bus. Audio interface 209, for example, may be connected to the system via a PCI or PCIe bus. System bus 208 is shown in FIG. 2 merely to indicate that the various components are connected in some fashion for communication with CPU 205 and is not intended to limit the invention to any particular bus architecture. Numerous other variations in the gaming machine internal structure and system may be used without departing from the principles of the present invention. For example, a gaming machine in some embodiments of the present invention may rely on one or more data processors which are located remotely from the gaming machine itself. Embodiments of the present invention may include no processor such as CPU 205 or graphics processors such as 215 and 216 at the gaming machine, and may instead rely on one or more remote processors. Thus unless specifically stated otherwise, the designation “gaming machine” is used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims to designate a system of devices which operate together to provide the indicated functions. A “gaming machine” may include a gaming machine such as gaming machine 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which is itself a system of various components, and may also include one or more components remote from a gaming machine cabinet (such as cabinet 101 in FIG. 1). Thus the designation “gaming machine” encompasses both a stand-alone gaming machine and a gaming machine (that is, the part housed in a cabinet such as cabinet 101 in FIG. 1) along with one or more remote components for providing various functions (such as generating outcomes for plays in a game, and driving display devices mounted in a gaming machine cabinet).

It will also be appreciated that graphics processors are also commonly a part of modern computer systems. Although separate graphics processor 215 is shown for controlling primary video display device 104 and secondary video display device 107, and graphics processor 216 is shown for controlling both auxiliary display devices 108 and 109, CPU 205 or a graphics processor packaged with or included with CPU 205 may control all of the display devices directly without any separately packaged graphics processor. The invention is not limited to any particular arrangement of processing devices for controlling the video display devices included with gaming machine 100. Also, a gaming machine implementing the present invention is not limited to any particular number of video display device or other types of display devices.

In the illustrated gaming machine 100, CPU 205 executes software, that is, program code, which ultimately controls the entire gaming machine including the receipt of player inputs and the presentation of the graphics or information displayed according to the invention through the display devices 104, 107, 108, and 109 associated with the gaming machine. CPU 205 also executes software related to communications handled through network interface (network controller) 210, and software related to various peripheral devices such as those connected to the system through audio controller 209, serial interface 211, and touch screen controller 217. CPU 205 may also execute software to perform accounting functions associated with game play. Random access memory 206 provides memory for use by CPU 205 in executing its various software programs while the nonvolatile memory or storage device 207 may comprise a hard drive or other mass storage device providing storage for game software such as game program code 204 (and associated program code such as player input program code, display program code, prize enhancement program code, and payout program code) prior to loading into random access memory 206 for execution, or for programs not in use or for other data generated or used in the course of gaming machine operation. Network interface 210 provides an interface to other components of a gaming system in which gaming machine 100 may be included. An example network will be described below in connection with FIG. 3.

It should be noted that the invention is not limited to gaming machines employing the personal computer-type arrangement of processing devices and interfaces shown in example gaming machine 100. Other gaming machines through which payout enhancements may be implemented may include one or more special purpose processing devices to perform the various processing steps for implementing the present invention. Unlike general purpose processing devices such as CPU 205, which may comprise an Intel Pentium® or Core® processor for example, these special purpose processing devices may not employ operational program code to direct the various processing steps.

The example gaming machine 100 which may be used to implement some embodiments of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2 as including a user interface devices 220 (part of a player input system) connected to serial interface 211. These user interface devices may include various player input devices such as mechanical buttons shown on button panel 106 in FIG. 1, and/or levers, and other devices. It will be appreciated that the interface between CPU 205 and other player input devices such as player card readers, voucher readers or printers, and other devices may be in the form of serial communications. Thus serial interface 211 may be used for those additional devices as well, or the gaming machine may include one or more additional serial interface controllers. However, the interface between peripheral devices in the gaming machine, such as player input devices, is not limited to any particular type or standard for purposes of the present invention.

Reel Assembly 213 is shown in the diagrammatic representation of FIG. 2 to illustrate that a gaming machine which may be used for various embodiments of the invention may include mechanical reels. For example, a set of mechanical reels may replace the primary display device 104, or at least part of that display device. Alternatively, mechanical reels may be included in the gaming machine behind a light-transmissive video display panel. In either case, the mechanical reels either represent a display device for displaying some or all of the game symbols in the course of a game play. Although the invention is not limited to any particular mechanical reel arrangement or control system, mechanical reels may be controlled conveniently through serial communications which provide instructions for a respective stepper motor for each reel. Thus some embodiments of the present invention which employ mechanical reels may use a serial interface device such as serial interface controller 211 to control communications with the reel assembly, and may not include a direct bus interconnection as indicated by FIG. 2. Details of a mechanical reel arrangement and various accent lighting arrangements which may be associated with mechanical reels are not shown in the present figures so as to avoid obscuring the present invention in unnecessary detail.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a networked gaming system 300 associated with one or more gaming facilities may include one or more networked gaming machines 100 (“electronic gaming machines” or “EGM's”) connected in the network by suitable network cable or wirelessly. Networked gaming machines 100 (EGM1-EGMn) and one or more overhead displays 313 may be operatively connected so that the overhead display or displays may mirror or replay the content of one or more displays of gaming machines 100. For example, the primary display content for a given gaming machine 100 may be stored by a display controller or game processor 205 of the given gaming machine and transmitted through network controller 210 to a controller associated with the overhead display(s) 313. In the event gaming machines 100 have cameras installed, the respective players' video images may be displayed on overhead display 313 along with the content of the player's gaming machine display.

The example gaming network 300 shown in FIG. 3 includes a host server 301 and floor server 302, which together may function as an intermediary between floor devices such as gaming machines 100 and back office devices such as the various servers described below. Game server 303 may provide server-based games and/or game services to network connected gaming devices such as gaming machines 100. Central determinant server 305 may be included in the network to identify or select lottery, bingo, or other centrally determined game outcomes and provide the information to networked gaming machines 100 which present the games to players.

Progressive server 307 may accumulate progressive prizes by receiving defined amounts, such as a percentage of the wagers from eligible gaming devices or by receiving funding from marketing or casino funds. Progressive server 307 may also provide progressive prizes to winning gaming devices in response to a progressive event. Such a progressive event may comprise, for example, a progressive jackpot game outcome or other triggering event such as a random or pseudo-random win determination at a networked gaming device or server. Accounting server 311 may receive gaming data from each of the networked gaming devices, perform audit functions, and provide data for analysis programs. Player account server 309 may maintain player account records, and store persistent player data such as accumulated player points and/or player preferences (for example, game personalizing selections or options).

Example gaming network 300 also includes a gaming website 321 which may be hosted through web server 320 and may be accessible by players via the Internet. One or more games may be displayed as described herein and played by a player through a personal computer 323 or handheld wireless device 325 (for example, a Blackberry® cell phone, Apple® iPhone®, personal digital assistant (PDA), iPad®, etc.). To enter website 321, a player may log in with a user name that may, for example, be associated with the player's account information stored on player account server 309. Once logged onto website 321 the player may play various games on the website. Also website 321 may allow the player to make various personalizing selections and save the information so it is available for use during the player's a next gaming session at a casino establishment having the gaming machines 100.

It will be appreciated that gaming network 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 is provided merely as an example of a gaming network in which games featuring enhanced value paylines according to embodiments of the present invention may be implemented, and is not intended to be limiting in any way. The invention is not limited to use in games offered through a gaming network (via the gaming website 321, or via gaming machines such as gaming machines 100, or otherwise). For example, games including enhanced value paylines according to the present invention may be offered through a stand-alone gaming machine having a configuration similar to gaming machine 100 or having any other gaming machine configuration. Also, where games including enhanced value paylines as described particularly below in connection with FIGS. 4-10 are offered through gaming machines included in a gaming network, the network need not have the configuration shown for purposes of example in FIG. 3. In particular, servers shown separately in the example of FIG. 3 may be combined in a single physical processing device, or the processing duties of the various illustrated servers may be split into additional physical devices.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example process within the scope of the present invention. The process shown in FIG. 4 from process block 402 through 416 represents a single game play according to the invention and thus may be repeated for each respective play of the game. The illustrated process applies to a wagering game such as a reel-type game in which the results for a play of the game are shown by the manner in which an array of symbol locations are populated with game symbols for the given play of the game. The following paragraph will describe the overall process shown in FIG. 4 and then subsequent paragraphs will describe the individual process steps in greater detail and describe certain variations on these steps.

As shown at process block 401, the electronic gaming machine (such as gaming machine 100 in FIGS. 1-3) is first initialized for game play. Once the gaming machine is initialized, the process may include designating one or more enhanced value pay lines as indicated at process block 402. With the enhanced value paylines designated, the process proceeds to receive a game play input which initiates a play of the game. This step is shown at process block 404 in FIG. 4 and includes populating symbol locations in a matrix of symbol locations as will be described further below. The process shown in FIG. 4 also includes branching at decision box 406 and accentuating certain paylines as shown at process block 408 in cases where the process of populating the symbol locations shows a potential for an enhanced prize according to the invention. Once all of the necessary symbol locations are populated for the play of the game as shown at process block 410, the process includes applying value enhancers to produce enhanced prizes as shown at process block 412. Ultimately, pay table prizes are awarded for winning paylines that are not enhanced value paylines for that particular play of the game, and enhanced prizes are awarded for the enhanced value paylines as indicated at process blocks 414 and 416 respectively.

The process of initializing a gaming machine for play of the game as indicated at process block 401 may include a number of different steps depending upon the nature of the gaming machine and the gaming network in which the gaming machine may be included. For example, many modern gaming machines may require a player login to initialize the gaming machine for play. This login may include receiving a player identifier at the game machine in some fashion either through a card reader or other reading device or input device at gaming machine. Other gaming machines may require no player login, but may require the player to insert cash or credits into the gaming machine in some fashion to initialize the gaming machine for play. For example, in ticket-in-ticket-out systems, a player may be required to insert a ticket into a ticket reader at the gaming machine to place credits on the gaming machine to facilitate play. Where the gaming machine accepts cash, the initialization process may include receiving cash from the player. Process block 401 is included in FIG. 4 simply to indicate that typically the gaming machine must be initialized for game play in some fashion, but is not intended to limit the invention to any particular type of initialization.

In some forms of the invention the process of initializing the gaming machine for play as indicated at process block 401 causes the gaming machine to display a symbol display area on a symbol display device of the gaming machine. The symbol display area includes a number of symbol locations for a wagering game with a number of pay lines defined through the symbol locations. In some forms of the invention the symbol display area and the particular symbols at each symbol location are simply left over from the previous play of the game. In other embodiments, the state of the symbol display area may be left over from an attract sequence executed by the gaming machine to attract a player to that particular machine. Yet other forms of the invention may return the symbol display area to a particular starting condition for each play the game.

The process of designating enhanced value paylines as indicated at process block 402 in FIG. 4 may or may not include receiving some input from the player at the gaming machine. Some preferred forms of the invention may include a set of enhance value paylines that are pre-designated at gaming machine initialization or otherwise, and these pre-designated enhanced value paylines are applicable to each play the game. Other forms of the invention may include dynamic designation of enhanced value paylines. For example, a player may be able to designate certain paylines as enhanced value paylines for a given play or set of plays at the gaming machine. Alternatively, enhanced value paylines may be designated in some automated fashion randomly or pseudo-randomly under the control of the gaming machine processor (such as CPU 205 in FIG. 2) or some processing device remote from the gaming machine. The invention is not limited to any particular arrangement for designating the enhanced value pay lines. It is necessary only that one or more paylines, that is, paylines defined through various symbol locations in the symbol matrix, are designated as enhanced value paylines either during the given play of the game or before the play of the game.

The game play input received as indicated at process block 404 may include receiving a number of separate inputs to initiate the play of the game. For example, a player may be required to select a bet level for the play and/or may be required to select which paylines are active for the given play. The present invention is not limited to receiving any particular input or inputs to initiate the play of the game. Unless stated specifically otherwise, for the purpose of this disclosure and the following claims, the step of receiving a game play input includes receiving any single input or sequence of inputs to initiate the play of the game.

Once the play of the game is initiated, the gaming machine begins to populate at least some of the symbol locations with respective game symbols for that play of the game. Where the gaming machine is a mechanical reel type game, the symbol locations are populated by spinning the reels and then bringing each reel to a stop to show various game symbols at the symbol locations. Video reel-type games include a video simulation of reels (which may be shown on video display device 104 in FIG. 1 for example) which spin and then come to a stop to show various game symbols in a symbol matrix. The invention is not limited to any particular reel arrangement, for either a mechanical reel or video reel implementation. For example embodiments of the invention may include a three reel game where each reel defines three different symbol locations. Other embodiments may include a matrix of symbol locations where each location is associated with a separate reel or simulated reel. Yet other embodiments may combine reels showing multiple symbol locations and reels showing a single symbol location. Although the invention has particular application to reel-type gaming machines having a high number of paylines defined through the symbol location matrix, any number of paylines more than eight, the invention is not limited to high payline games, and is not limited to any particular type of matrix. Paylines may be defined as straight lines or may include one or more angles to pass through the various symbol locations.

The payline accentuating arrangement indicated at decision box 406 and process block 408 in FIG. 4 may be incorporated in some forms of the invention to provide a heightened level of excitement and anticipation as the reels come to a stop for a given play of the game. In one embodiment, the reels of a reel-type game may be brought to a stop separately so that some of the symbols in the resulting matrix of symbols are shown while other reels remain spinning. The symbols showing on the stopped reels may indicate a win is possible along a given enhanced value payline pending the symbols which stop at the remaining symbol locations for the payline. If the available symbols show a potential for a win along an enhanced value payline, the process branches at decision box 406 to accentuate the symbols along the potential winning payline as indicated at process block 408. One preferred arrangement of accentuating the symbols comprises increasing the brightness of the symbols already populated along the potentially winning enhanced value payline. Other arrangements may change a background color for the given game symbol. Video-implemented game symbols may include an animation to accentuate that symbol, and indicate to the player the potential for a win along the given enhanced value payline. The invention is not limited to any particular way to accentuate the affected game symbols.

Completing the process of populating the symbol locations as shown at process block 410 in FIG. 4 may include simply bringing all of the reels to a stop showing a particular game symbol at each respective symbol location. It should be appreciated however that some forms of the invention may not change all of the symbols for a/the given play of the game. For example, one or more of the reels in a reel-type game may remain stationary for a given play. Such stationary reels may be selected randomly, may be selected under the control the player in some fashion, or may be selected in any other fashion. Where the player may select symbol locations to remain constant over the course of the given play of the game, the selection may be part of the game play input at process block 404, for example.

The invention is not limited to any particular arrangement for selecting the game symbols for a given play of the game. In a central determinant system, such as a central determinant bingo or electronic lottery system, for example, a given play of the game may be associated with one or more outcomes of the underlying game. In these cases, the reels of a reel-type game may be forced to stop showing particular symbols consistent with the outcome of the underlying game or random outcome selection. In other forms of the invention the outcome for a given play of the game is obtained in some fashion at the gaming machine itself and the reels are forced to stop showing symbols consistent with the outcome. In yet other forms of invention, the reels may be stopped randomly or pseudo randomly to populate the symbol locations which are to be populated for the given play of the game.

Once all of the respective symbol locations are populated with respective game symbols for the play of the game, the outcomes for that play of the game are apparent from the paytable which defines payline wins for the game. The paylines which have been designated as enhanced value pay lines will produce enhanced prizes as indicated at process block 412. The enhancement may be a multiplier which is applied to a paytable win for the payline, or may be any other type of value enhancement. For example, a payline enhancement may comprise a fixed or variable prize amount which is added to the value produced by the payline result for that given payline whether it is a payline win or a loss. Other possible payline enhancements might include an award of some number of free spins or an award of a bonus game (some sort of secondary game), or some combination of different types of value enhancers. Some value enhancers will apply only if there is a payline win. For example, where the value enhancer is a multiplier, the multiplier will operate to produce an enhanced prize for the respective payline only if there is a paytable or other type of win on that payline for the respective play of the game. Some value enhancers will apply only if there is a win of a particular type along the designated payline. The invention is not limited to any particular type of payline value enhancer or method of applying the value enhancer.

The gaming machine awards paytable prizes according to the paytable in effect for the game as indicated at process block 414, and also awards any enhanced prizes as indicated at process block 416. The prizes may be awarded in any particular fashion consistent with the particular gaming machine and gaming system. For example, prizes are awarded in some gaming machines by increasing the credit value on the gaming machine and the player may cash out from that gaming machine to obtain value for those credits. Other types of gaming systems maintain an account for the player's play at a remote accounting system, and the prizes are awarded by crediting the player's remote account and showing the updated account value at the gaming machine. Some types of prizes may be hand pay prizes which require a casino employee to manually deliver the prize or a voucher for the prize to the player. Hand pays are typically required for high-value prizes or for prizes in the form of merchandise or coupons. Other types of gaming machines may physically dispense prizes in the form of coins or other value. The invention is not limited to any particular system or arrangement for awarding either the paytable prizes or enhanced prizes.

A specific example of a process according to the invention may be described with reference to FIGS. 5 through 10. FIGS. 5 through 9 show various states of a reel-type game display including five horizontally aligned virtual reels, 501, 502, 503, 504, and 505, each reel providing four vertically aligned symbol locations in the stopped position. This example symbol location matrix thus defines twenty separate symbol locations. In the following discussion, the symbol locations will be defined in terms of the reel and the position on each reel. In particular, the first reel 501 has four symbol locations which may be referred to as (beginning from the top) symbol locations 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and 1-4. The second reel 502 has four symbol locations (again beginning from the top) 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, and 2-4. The symbol locations provided by the remaining reels 503, 504, and 505 will be described in corresponding fashion. Under this naming system, the particular arrangement of symbols shown in FIG. 5 shows a symbol including an image of a Buffalo at location 1-1, whereas symbol location 2-2 shows the symbol “A” (an abbreviation for the playing card “Ace”), and symbol locations 1-4, 2-1, and 4-1 all show a symbol including an image of a hawk.

The example shown in FIGS. 5 through 9 includes four different paylines 511, 512, 513, and 514 which are designated as enhanced value paylines. These paylines happen to be the four horizontal paylines for this symbol matrix, however, any other paylines defined through the matrix could be designated as enhanced value paylines. In this particular example the lowermost horizontal payline, payline 514, is associated with a three times (3×) multiplier value enhancer and is made up of symbol locations 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 4-4, and 5-4. The multiplier value along with an indicator comprising a graphic symbol of an arrow is shown to the left of the pay line in this example. The next higher horizontal payline, payline 512, is associated with a times five (5×) multiplier as the value enhancer, whereas payline 513 is associated with a seven times (7×) multiplier value enhancer, and the uppermost horizontal payline, payline 514, is associated with a ten times (10×) multiplier as the value enhancer. Each value enhancer is shown to the left of the respective payline together with an indicator comprising a graphic symbol of an arrow. In some preferred forms of the invention each value enhancer or an indicator (such as the indicator arrows) included therewith may have a color which is distinctive for that particular payline. For example, the indicator arrow shown with the three times multiplier may be shown in yellow, the indicator arrow with the five times multiplier may be shown in green, the indicator arrow shown with the seven times multiplier may be shown in blue, and the indicator arrow with the ten times multiplier may be shown in red. The particular example of FIGS. 5 through 9 shows that the value enhancers increase continuously from the lowermost horizontal payline to the uppermost horizontal payline. Other forms of the invention may include value enhancers that increase in the opposite direction, that is, from the uppermost horizontal payline to the lowermost horizontal payline. In yet other embodiments, the enhanced value paylines may be designated so that the value enhancers do not increase continuously across the set of designated paylines.

FIG. 10 shows a paytable for the example game shown in FIGS. 5 through 9. The paytable defines the credit values of various symbol combinations when aligned along a given payline. For example, FIG. 10 shows that five of the Buffalo symbols aligned along a payline produces a 500 credit win, whereas four of the coyote symbols aligned along a given payline produces a 75 credit win. The value enhancers shown in the example of FIGS. 5 through 9 are applied to the respective horizontal payline wins.

From the initial symbol arrangement shown in FIG. 5, FIGS. 6 to 9 show symbols as the various symbol locations are populated for a given play the game. Initially, each of the reels is set in motion and is then stopped to show a particular set of symbols along the symbol locations for that reel. In FIG. 6, the first two reels, reel 501 and 502, have stopped while reels 503, 504, and 505 continue to spin (although these reels which continue to spin are shown in the figures in a single video frame so that the spinning simulation is not apparent). Symbol locations 1-1 and 2-1 have landed showing the Buffalo symbol (game symbol) for this play of the game. In accordance with the accentuating process shown at 406 and 408 in FIG. 4, these game symbols are shown accentuated to indicate that there is a potential for an enhanced prize for that payline, payline 511. The accentuation in this case is a change in background color around the symbols to correspond to the color of the arrow symbol associated with the ten times multiplier for that payline. Payline 513 in FIG. 6 shows snake symbols having stopped at symbol locations 1-3 and 2-3 and these symbols are accentuated with a background color which matches the color of the arrow symbol for that payline.

FIG. 7 shows the state of the reels 501, 502, 503, 504, and 505 after the third reel, reel 503, has stopped for the play of the game while the final two reels remain spinning. In this example, reel 503 has stopped showing a Buffalo symbol at reel position 3-1. Because there remains a potential for an enhanced prize along that payline, payline 511, all the symbols which have landed along the payline are accentuated with a background color that matches the color of the arrow symbol to the left of the payline. Also, a prize enhancer win symbol 520 is shown between virtual reels 503 and 504 indicating that the enhanced prize of 10× the paytable value for three aligned Buffalo symbols will at least be awarded for that play and the 10× multiplier will be applied to that paytable win. FIG. 7 also shows that a “K” symbol (an abbreviation for a playing card “King”) has landed in reel position 3-3 which removes the potential for an enhanced prize along pay line 513. Thus with the potential no longer there, this particular form of the invention removes the accentuation comprising the background color that was previously displayed behind the snake symbols which landed at symbol locations 1-3 and 2-3.

FIG. 8 shows the condition of the reels for this example play in which the first four reels, reels 501-504, have landed and reel 505 remains in motion. In this example, a Buffalo symbol has landed at reel position 4-1 and the prize enhancer win symbol 520 has moved to the position between reels 504 and 505 to indicate that the multiplier applies at least to the four Buffalo symbol win along payline 511.

FIG. 9 shows all the reels having stopped for the play of the game. In this example, a Buffalo symbol has landed at reel position 5-1, and thus payline 511 in this example produces an enhanced prize made up of the paytable prize for five aligned Buffalo symbols, 500 credits, multiplied by the value enhancer 10 to produce an overall prize of 5000 credits.

It should be appreciated that a large number of paylines in addition to the four horizontal paylines may be defined through the symbol matrix shown in the examples of FIGS. 5 through 9. For example a payline may be defined as reel symbol locations 1-1, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3, and 5-4. The invention is not limited to any particular number of additional paylines which may be defined through the symbol location matrix, however, the invention has particular application to reel type games in which a large number of paylines (over eight paylines for example) are defined through the symbol matrix. The enhanced prizes or value enhancers according to the present invention applied to certain paylines have the benefit of allowing the player to better see his or her high-value wins. Although the payline enhancers shown in the example of FIGS. 5 through 9 are applied to the horizontal paylines, value enhancers may be applied to non-horizontal pay line as well or alternatively to the horizontal paylines.

Although example implementations of the invention are described above mostly in terms of standalone games, it should be appreciated that the invention may be applied in any number of different gaming environments and/or in combination with other games. For example, games employing enhanced value paylines according to the present invention may be used as in-revenue or out-of-revenue tournament games or in side action games that are played in parallel or concurrently with one or more other games. Games employing enhanced value paylines may also be employed as community games in which results at one gaming machine affect a community of one or more other players at different gaming machines. Games employing enhanced value paylines may also employ additional features to enhance the player's gaming experience. For example, players may be allowed to save game symbols from one play and apply the saved symbols to another play. This may be accomplished by freezing one or more reels for a given play of a reel-type game. Also, games employing enhanced value paylines may incorporate progressive prizes. For example, one or more value enhancers may comprise a progressive prize. Avatars are among other game features which may be used in connection with games employing enhanced value paylines. For example, an avatar may be used to accentuate an enhanced value payline in accordance with the processes described in connection with decision box 406 and process block 408 in FIG. 4. Trailing touchscreen graphic effects such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0115599 may also be incorporated in games employing enhanced value paylines.

As used in the foregoing description and the following claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but not limited to. Any use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).

The above-described example embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments and modifications to these preferred embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

1. A method for applying payout enhancements in a wagering game, the method including: (a) displaying a symbol display area on a symbol display device of a gaming machine, the symbol display area being displayed under the control of one or more processors associated with the gaming machine, having a number of symbol locations for a wagering game, and having a number of paylines defined through the symbol locations; (b) designating at least one of the paylines as an enhanced value payline associated with a respective value enhancer; (c) receiving a game play input in the wagering game through a player input system of the gaming machine, the game play input being associated with a wager for a play of the game and initiating that respective play of the game; (d) in response to the game play input, and after designating at least one of the paylines as a respective enhanced value payline, populating at least some of the symbol locations in the symbol display area with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game, the symbol locations being populated under the control of the one or more processors; (e) for each enhanced value payline, displaying a prize enhancer win symbol in the area of a last-populated symbol location making up that respective payline as the symbol locations along the respective payline are populated so as to correlate to a paytable prize for that respective payline, and applying the respective value enhancer associated with that payline to enhance the value of a final paytable prize for that respective payline to produce an enhanced prize for that respective payline, the prize enhancer symbol being displayed and the respective value enhancer being applied both under control of the one or more processors; (f) awarding a respective paytable prize through the gaming machine for each winning payline for the play of the game which is not an enhanced value payline; and (g) awarding the respective enhanced prize through the gaming machine for each enhanced value payline for the play of the game.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the value enhancer associated with at least one enhanced value payline is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for that payline by multiplying the final paytable prize.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations include at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein each horizontal enhanced value payline is associated with a different value enhancer.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein each respective value enhancer is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for the respective enhanced value payline by multiplying the final paytable prize.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the prize enhancer win symbol is displayed extending from the area of the last-populated symbol location in the respective payline to the area of an adjacent symbol location which is yet to be populated for that respective play of the game.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations includes at least three horizontal paylines, and each of at least three horizontal paylines is designated as a respective enhanced value payline with the value enhancer continuously increasing in value upwardly or downwardly through the at least three horizontal paylines.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations includes at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline, and further including displaying the respective value enhancer at least at one end of the respective horizontal payline prior to receiving the game play input for the respective game play.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the symbol locations of a respective enhanced value payline are populated sequentially in a first direction, and further including for that respective enhanced value payline visually enhancing each symbol location as it is populated with a game symbol which has the potential to produce a respective paytable prize for that payline.
 10. A gaming machine including: (a) at least one display device; (b) a player input system; (c) at least one processor; and (d) at least one memory device storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to: (i) cause the display device to display a symbol display area having a number of symbol locations for a wagering game and a number of paylines defined through the symbol locations, with at least one of the paylines being designated as an enhanced value payline associated with a respective value enhancer; (ii) receive a game play input in the wagering game through the player input system, the game play input being associated with a wager for a play of the game and initiating that respective play of the game; (iii) in response to the game play input, and with the at least one of the paylines already designated as a respective enhanced value payline, cause the display device to populate at least some of the symbol locations in the symbol display area with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game; (iv) for each enhanced value payline, display a prize enhancer win symbol in the area of a last-populated symbol location making up that respective payline as the symbol locations along the respective payline are populated so as to correlate to a paytable prize for that respective payline, and apply the respective value enhancer associated with that payline to enhance the value of a final paytable prize for that respective payline to produce an enhanced prize for that respective payline; (v) award a respective paytable prize for each winning payline for the play of the game which is not an enhanced value payline; and (vi) award the respective enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline for the play of the game.
 11. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the value enhancer associated with at least one enhanced value payline is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for that payline by multiplying the final paytable prize.
 12. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations include at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline.
 13. The gaming machine of claim 12 wherein each enhanced value payline is associated with a different value enhancer.
 14. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein each respective value enhancer is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for the respective enhanced value payline by multiplying the final paytable prize.
 15. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations includes at least three horizontal paylines, and each of at least three horizontal paylines is designated as a respective enhanced value payline with the value enhancer continuously increasing in value upwardly or downwardly through the at least three horizontal paylines.
 16. A program product stored on one or more non-transitory computer readable data storage devices, the program product including: (a) player input program code executable by at least one processor to receive a game play input entered through a gaming machine, the game play input being associated with a wager for the play of a game and initiating that respective play of the game; (b) display program code executable by the at least one processor to cause a display device associated with a gaming machine to (i) display a symbol display area having a number of symbol locations for the game and a number paylines defined through the symbol locations, with at least one of the paylines being designated as an enhanced value payline associated with a respective value enhancer, to (ii) in response to the game play input, and after at least one of the paylines is designated as a respective enhanced value payline, populating at least some of the symbol locations in the symbol display area with a respective game symbol for that respective play of the game, and to (iii) display a prize enhancer win symbol in the area of a last-populated symbol location making up a respective enhanced value payline as the symbol locations along the respective payline are populated so as to correlate to a paytable prize for that respective payline; (c) prize enhancement program code executable by the at least one processor to, for each enhanced value payline, apply the respective value enhancer associated with that payline to enhance the value of a final paytable prize for that respective payline to produce an enhanced prize for that respective payline; and (d) payout program code executable by the at least one processor to (i) award a respective paytable prize for each winning payline for the play of the game which is not an enhanced value payline, and to (ii) award the respective enhanced prize for each enhanced value payline for the play of the game.
 17. The program product of claim 16 wherein the value enhancer associated with at least one enhanced value payline is a multiplier value which is applied to enhance the value of the final paytable prize for that payline by multiplying the final paytable prize.
 18. The program product of claim 16 wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations include at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline.
 19. The program product of claim 18 wherein each horizontal enhanced value payline is associated with a different value enhancer.
 20. The program product of claim 16 wherein the number of paylines defined through the symbol locations include at least two horizontal paylines, and wherein each horizontal payline is designated as a respective enhanced value payline, and wherein the display program code is also executable by the at least one processor to display the respective value enhancer at least at one end of the respective horizontal payline prior to receiving the game play input for the respective game play. 